bad behavior

Tank is really getting on our last nerves and we don't know what to do! Being our first dog we are clueless and hoping that its a age thing and he will grow out of it by.... tomorrow???? He will be a year old October 16th. we got him December 16. due to aggression issues due to being mistreated buy the breeders family we put him almost directly into behavioral training class through our vets behaviorist. He was in it for 12 weeks and really blossomed. we also then put him in puppy obedience/training class through the local indoor dog park so he has been through 2 training classes. he did great too! we learned a lot and he did also. Now for the past couple months or so we have been having problems with chewing! we have had to replace and pay for mind you... every cable line on our property. he digs them up (have no idea how he finds them!!!) and then he eats them. We have had to rewire our internet cables and move them to our ceiling... i actually have them tacked up there so he can get them... although i'm sure one day he will find out where they originate and kill them again.... he actually sits down there and just stares at them :/..... now we have a issue of him eating shoes! he has ate 6 pairs of my daughters shoes in the last month..... daddy is very very mad about that! so we have to hide our shoes in our closets... he has started peeing on my husbands dirty clothes or shoes or our bed when he gets scolded by him and whenever he don't get his way he goes and craps on the floor . I have no idea what to do or how to break him of this or how to reprimand him without him going off and peeing on dirty clothes or my bed! The only thing that has changed environmentally is the kids are back in school so its just me and him during the day now. The first couple weeks he just sat all depressed at the window waiting for them to get home but after that he was back to normal in the mood aspect and now knows there schedule and greets them as they get off the bus. so i don't think that's the issue now... ohh and hes jumping up on us and back to humping! we need help! we don't crate him but we did keep him in the laundry room but cant now due to a gaping whole in my door . he ate his way out while i was in Chicago with my youngest for cf clinic.... needless to say momma wasn't a happy camper when we got home. we are at our wits end.. and really dont want to throw him back into a training class since hes been to two and was doing fine..... I just dont get why his behavior has went so bad

Re: bad behavior

I am far from the expert here but it sounds like he may be acting out with the kids being gone to a point. Maybe they kept him more busy than he is now and he is trying to fill that? lol. The chewing didnt stop for me with Cutty until he hit about 2. Shoes, baseboards, couch cushions etc... The peeing is him marking or acting out, he knows what he is doing there. No help on correcting tho sorry. lol. We have many who are great with training tho so you will get some great advice. The chewing we are having a problem with our new pup Miila also. In fact while I am writing this she just got busted for chewing on a cord for my husbands guitar thing that connects to the computer. I am sure he will be so excited to see this. lol

Re: bad behavior

Originally Posted by cali~jenn

I am far from the expert here but it sounds like he may be acting out with the kids being gone to a point. Maybe they kept him more busy than he is now and he is trying to fill that? lol. The chewing didnt stop for me with Cutty until he hit about 2. Shoes, baseboards, couch cushions etc... The peeing is him marking or acting out, he knows what he is doing there. No help on correcting tho sorry. lol. We have many who are great with training tho so you will get some great advice. The chewing we are having a problem with our new pup Miila also. In fact while I am writing this she just got busted for chewing on a cord for my husbands guitar thing that connects to the computer. I am sure he will be so excited to see this. lol

yikes! so the chewing is a puppy thing possibly then... sounds like you have had your fair share. so far weve gotten lucky cord wise he is only interested in cable wires and internet cables :/. which is a bad thing since my hubbys job calls for work at home at times.

Re: bad behavior

I would say so. Mostly when my boys got bored is when they found stuff to chew. If you can keep them preoccupied that may help. Get lots of chew toys if you dont have many already. Oh and those deer antlers are a huge hit, maybe that would help as a good distraction? I still havent gotten any but I think santa may be bringing the kids some. Oh and a water squirt helps to correct Miila when she is misbehaving. I know it doesnt work for all and in fact Cutty just wanted to eat the water but it does work for my Mugsy and Miila so far anyhow. Just gonna have to stay on top of him I think for a bit. Especially with the cords, have seen of bulldogs dying from chewing the wrong cord that was plugged in.

Re: bad behavior

Gypsy is the same. Only she likes blinds, baseboards, window sills, shoes and chairs. Bitter Apple is AWESOME they also have some stuff called YUCK but I haven't tried it. I think it will pass at some point. Try a stuffed kong to get his jaws working. You can put peanut butter in them. Some I know stuff it with raw hamburger and freeze it. That would keep mine busy for years. lol. Antlers are good too.

Re: bad behavior

@theparrisfive it seems as if Tank is bored. Are you able to get him out for a short walk while the kids are at school? also, all the training you mention - have you continued and remained consistent with the tools you learned during the classes? They will forget it all if not used with them. Get a spray bottle fill it with water and use it as a correction usually works very well.

I've never givin him a antler. Don't think I've actually seen them. Are they usually where the bones are? ' will definately look into that. He has lots of toys he has his own basket of them. He's only a tad spoiled lol! I will try a spray bottle that may work since he HATES water. I'm going to also pick up the apple stuff. We used to take walks twice a day once real early in the morning and a walk/run before sunset (I chose those hours so it was cool for him weather wise) but I stopped those about a month ago when my health spiraled out of control. I just haven't had the motivation to start them back up. Maybe I should I never thought of tank missing them . We work on sit stay lay down speak etc every day and he gets rewarded for good behavior with a treat each time. Sometimes hell come sit right in front of me and talk to me then give me his paw and then laydown and play dead like hey mom look I'm doing tricks give me my treat! Lol.

Re: bad behavior

You poor human! Antlers are available through Carolina Pet Pantry..there's a link to them here...they are wonderful..get the xlarge or jumbo! I don't have any advice..a ton of sympathy..oh and look at the bright side..Tank has actually "trained" his people about where shoes belong!!

Re: bad behavior

@theparrisfive... your boy is totally bored and is acting out for your attention. Just as in kids -- negative attention is better than no attention. And, with the water bottle, when you correct him be sure not to say his name, spray him and say no - very firm. Oh yeah, if he knows 'leave it' use that too with a nice loud foot stomp . Good luck, keep us posted and I have you and your family on my prayer list